Closed spiral paper clip



SEST AVAILABLE copy April 1939. H. D. RANDALL 2,153,724

CLOSED SPIRAL PAPER CLIP Filed Aug. 10, 1936 INVENTOR. #owar'a D. fianqa/l BY AZJEORNEY.

es i1, nit" BEST AVAILABLE COPY UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel type of paper clip or .the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and effective paper clip or the like, of a handy size and configuration.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated, which is so constructed that it cannot tear or otherwise damage sheets of paper held thereby, when removed from such sheets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a paper clip or the like which is very thin and thereby possesses the advantage that it does not add materially to the thickness of a compilation of sheets upon which it is used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paper clip or the like having frictional areas of such character and extent as to furnish a high degree of gripping strength or force for the effective holding of sheets in compiled form.

The foregoing and other advantages are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an enlarged plan view of the clip of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the clip, taken on line 2-2 of'Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a length of wire which may be either round or angular of cross section, and from which the clip is formed.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the wire as it is initially bent into spiral formation during manufacture of the clip. i

Fig. 5 is a side view showing how the spiral formation of Fig. 4 is flattened or compressed to produce the finished clip of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a modified form of the clip shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a modification of the clip therein illustrated.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental elevational view of a portion of a flattening roll, similar to that of Fig. 5, but having a roughened surface to impress the holding areas of the clips.

The clip illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is constituted of a single length of flattened resilient wire of a proper length to form a spiral shape having a plurality of convolutions I and 8. As will be understood, the length of wire 9, in its initial round or angular cross section, is first bent into a substantially spiral formation as indicated in Fig. 4. Thereafter, the initial shape or object thus produced, is subjected to a flattening operation, which may be any suitable type of press, preferably one which comprises a pair of pressure rolls l and I2 adjusted in spaced relationship to flatten the initially formed object and impart thereto a desired thickness. By referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the initially formed clip of Fig. 4 enters between the pressing rolls at the right, and moves therethrough to the left of the rolls, so as to emerge from the pressing or flattening means as a finished clip having fiattened opposite sides formed by the convolutions a and 8, the convolutions lying in a common 10 plane. The flattening of the wire as it passes through the press or flattening means, has the effect of disturbing the molecular structure of the wire, which desirably increases the resiliency of the clip material, thereby rendering the clip more effective and satisfactory, as a clip, than the initially formed spiral shape of Fig. 4.

As disclosed, the improved clip of this invention is characterized by an inner end or terminus l3, and an outer end or terminus l4, both of which rest in a common plane and at opposite sides of the outer convolution 8, at a location l5 where the outer convolution enters between said ends i3 and M to furnish the inner convolution 1.

Of considerable importance is the peculiar relationship or relative positions of the inner loop to the outer loop of the clip. It is at once evident that the clip, although initially made up of a spirally wound wire, is not in fact a strictly geometrical spiral, since the inner convolution is offset relative to the outer convolution. In other words, the approximate center A of the inner loop formed by the length of material determined by the reference characters l3, 7 and I5, is ofiset relative to the approximate center of the outer 5 loop, which is determined by that much of the material which comprises the portions I5, 8 and I4. Otherwise stated, the inner loop is disposed close to one side of the outer loop, so that a threequarter moon or crescent shaped space I6 is in evidence between the inner and outer loops, the crescent being opposite the points of substantial contact between the portions I3, [4 and I5 of the clip. Said portions l3 and 14 should be in very close proximity to the intermediate portion [5, or they may in fact actually engage said intermediate portion in frictional contact. In the preferred form, the termini l3 and M are so related that an imaginary line drawn through the approximate centers A and B of the inner and outer convolutions respectively, will include said termini or end portions l3 and M. This relationship adds materially to the holding power of the clip, but where the holding power may be relaxed or of lesser value, it is permissible to foreshorten the terminal ends 13 and M.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a modified form of the clip shown in Fig. 1, the primary difference between the clips being the formation of.,a.hump or; projection ll for increasing thedistance'betwee'n the inner and outer loops, with the object of facilitating the application of the clip to certain sizes and characters of sheet compilations. In the modified form of the clip as disclosed in Fig. 6, the terminal ends I3 and M thereof do not necessarily overlap or rest in substantial adjacency. It should be understood, however, that the formation of the extension or hump may as well be applied to the Fig. 1 clip at a location diametrically opposite the points of contact, or approximate contact, of the termini l3 and I4 upon the portion I? in the Fig. 1 form of clip. That is to say, the hump or extension might be located as disclosed in Fig. '7. The difference between the Fig. '7 clip and that of Fig. 8, is that the terminal ends of the Fig. 7 clip are disposed diametrically opposite to the humped portion, and they overlap an area E5 of the clip which is common to both of said ends.

Contemplated in the present invention, is the provision of roughened surfaces, as well as smooth surfaces, upon the faces of the rolls l6 and I2, for the purpose of imparting to the completed clip a character of finish that will enhance the holding power or frictional qualities of the loop formations. This may be accomplished as disclosed in Fig. 8, wherein the series of dots represent closely spaced pits or other means of roughening the roll surfaces. When the clips formed as in Fig. 4 are fed through the roughened type of rolls under high pressure, they emerge with roughened holding areas, as will be evident. As stated above, the inner and outer loops of the finished clip are each more in the nature of substantially complete circles eccentrically related, rather than a mere spiral providing a plurality of spaced convolutions conventionally related. In other words, the inner and outer loops are of such configuration that approximate centers thereof may readily be established, and found to be spaced points related to one another as explained. Due to the relationship of the loops as explained herein, a thumb pressure readily may be applied to the inner loop for forcing it out of the plane of the outer loop, to result in ready application of the clip to a stack of sheets. By reason of the adjacency of the terminal ends 13 and 14 to a neutral portion l5 of the clip, the springing apart of the loops at approximately the middle of the crescent shaped space 16, does not materially affect the holding power at or near the location at which the loops are closest to one another.

Clips made in accordance with the above teaching are found to tenaciously hold stacks of sheets Whether the stacks are very thin or unusually thick, with the advantages of adding but slightly to the thickness of the stack and application of the clip with a minimum of effort. When it is desired to supply the clip of Fig. l with an extension or hump such as characterizes the Fig. 6

device, it is necessary only to initially form a crook or hump in the unfinished structure of Fig. 4, at substantially the location C, prior to subjecting the formation to a flattening or pressing operation, The particular form of the clip shown in Fig'qfi'was produced by forming an outwardly extended hump at approximately the location D of Fig. 4.

What is claimed is:

1. A paper clip consisting of a spirally wound resilient wire all parts of which are located substantially within a common plane and provided with free end portions located inwardly and outwardly of the spiral convolutions respectively, the outer of said end portions being bent inwardly out of the curve of the spiral into close engagement with the adjacent portion of the outer convolution.

2. A paper clip formed of a resilient wire arranged with all parts lying substantially in a common plane and in the form of a flat spiral, the free end portions of said wire being located respectively outwardly of and inwardly with relation to the several convolutions, and each of said end portions being bent somewhat out of the normal path of the spiral and into close engagement with a portion of the next adjacent convolution.

3. A paper clip comprising a single piece of resilient wire curved throughout the major portion of its extent to form a flat spiral in which certain of the adjacent convolutions are spaced from each other throughout their circumferential extents a sufficient distance to be capable of relative movement at right angles to the plane of the spiral without frictional engagement with each other and having the outer free end portion thereof frictionally engaging that surface of the next adjacent convolution normally located in proximity thereto to facilitate the insertion of paper sheets between the spaced convolutions and to tend to prevent the insertion of such sheets between the outer free end portion of the wire and the adjacent convolution.

4. A device of the class described comprising a length of wire shaped to provide a plurality of loops each having an approximate center, the center of one loop being offset relative to the center of the other, with the loops eccentrically related one within the other, the outer loop being provided with an outwardly extending hump at the point of greatest eccentricity to increase the normal spacing of the loops at one location on the periphery.

5. A paper clip formed of a resilient wire with all parts lying in a common plane, and in the form of a flat spiral having an inner convolution and an outer convolution, the latter being distorted to elliptical formation, with the free end portions of said wire being located respectively outwardly of and inwardly with relation to the several convolutions, and each of said end portions being bent somewhat out of the normal path of the spiral and into close engagement with a portion of the next adjacent convolution.

HOWARD D. RANDALL. 

